


Knockin' On Heaven's Door

by avengingblackthorns



Category: Captain America - All Media Types, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, Winter Soldier (Comics)
Genre: Fluff fluff and more fluff, Reader-Insert, Soft Bucky, college!bucky, oh my god they were roommates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-15
Updated: 2018-08-15
Packaged: 2019-06-28 00:17:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,799
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15696306
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/avengingblackthorns/pseuds/avengingblackthorns
Summary: College!Bucky AUReader has some housing struggles and Bucky takes her under his wing.





	Knockin' On Heaven's Door

 

Rapping her knuckles on the hardwood door, she waited impatiently as angry shouts and loud music filtered through from the other side of the threshold. Huffing an annoyed breath through her nose, she raised her hand again to knock louder when the door opened to reveal a smiling Bucky Barnes.

“‘Sup, buttercup?” he greeted as he opened the door wider to allow her to enter. Just the sight of him in the doorway - beaming with his too-long hair hanging in his face - was enough to improve her mood slightly, if only a little. She could always count on him for that.

“No wonder your neighbours hate you guys” she muttered as she walked past him into the living area where the shouting and bass grew louder, thumping in her chest. Steve and Sam were sat side by side on the aged leather sofa playing Mario Kart, hurling insults and jibes at one another as Guns N’ Roses blasted through the speakers - only marginally louder than their bellowing. Dumping her backpack on the floor, she leaned across the counter and turned down the screeching electric guitar with an exasperated sigh. Normally, she’d sing along (badly) with Axl Rose complete with air guitar and everything but she was not in the mood. It had been an impossibly long day.

“Don’t you even  _think_  about using that damn blue shell, Rogers! I swear to-“ Sam threatened as he steered viciously into first place.

“Eat my dust, Wilson!” Steve retaliated, pressing the button to release the obstacle that went directly to obstruct the player in first place.

“No, no, no!” Sam exclaimed raising from his seat with each ‘no’ as the alarm signaled impending doom. He watched the screen dejectedly as the shell exploded and Yoshi was dramatically tossed into the air whilst Mario sped past to victory. Sam glowered dangerously in Steve’s direction as he celebrated smugly. “I’m gonna kill you!”

“Hey, knuckleheads! We have company” shouted Bucky in a feeble attempt to break-up the impromptu wrestling match. The two boys briefly halted their attack, shot a quick greeting in her direction and resumed fighting.

“Ugh, how do you deal with them all the time?” she grumbled as she rubbed her temples, earning a chuckle from Bucky. Plonking himself down in the only remaining armchair, he patted the arm where she usually perched beside him. In the beginning, Bucky tried to be chivalrous and offered to let her sit in the armchair with her being the guest and all but she was having none of it. As the weeks went by, he eventually stopped asking when she happily slung herself across the back of his chair like a cat every time. Sure enough, she kicked her shoes off and balanced herself cross-legged atop the armrest like a Buddha statue.

“Ya get used to it. Rough day?” he asked as he looked up at her. There was practically an ominous cloud of thunder swirling around her head she was in such a foul mood. The end of the college semester was approaching which is often a stressful time for everyone but Bucky knew she was incredibly efficient and had kept on top of all of her assignments this year. Stressing over exams was not even a possibility for her. Another long sigh escaped her lips as she nodded and ran a hand through her disheveled locks, fingers bunching in the knots.

“You have no idea. Johnathan - you know, the dickhead in my group - went out and got drunk last night instead of finishing his part of the project. So, we all had to traipse across campus in the rain to try and help the idiot finish it before our 5pm deadline,” she ranted as she fiddled with the denim strands on her ripped jeans that were still slightly damp from the rain. Noticing her voice was the only one echoing around the small room, she looked up to see Sam and Steve had reached a truce and decided to turn on Netflix instead. “Oh, and I’ll be homeless next semester.”

She was met by three pairs of eyes and a chorus of ‘whats’ and ‘how comes’.

“Y’know how I was supposed to study abroad next semester? Well, that fell through so I’ll have to wait until next year,” she explained with a tone of disappointment while she leaned forward to grab a handful of popcorn from the bowl on the battered wooden coffee table strewn with controllers. “And my landlord has already leased my room to someone else. I’ve spent the past two days looking for vacancies but nowhere will take me for a semester.”

Her shoulders slumped with defeat as she crammed the salty snack into her mouth carelessly. Exhaustion seeped into every muscle in her body and she began to wonder why she had visited instead of going home and enjoying the moderate comfort of her own crappy bed while she still could.

“You could stay here,” blurted Bucky and she shook her head weakly.

“I already asked, they’re booked solid for next semester-“ she started.

“No, I meant  _here_  here. With us” he corrected gesturing towards his roommates who agreed enthusiastically. She, however, didn’t look too convinced as she fiddled with her sleeves.

“I don’t know, guys. You’re not supposed to sub-let rooms, I don’t wanna get you guys in trouble” she paused before a devious look crossed her face and she added: “At least, not for that.”

“It’s not sub-letting if we don’t collect rent payments from you” Bucky reasoned with a nonchalant shrug paired with the ghost of a mischievous smile. Sam hissed in mock protest at this, coaxing a small laugh from her. She had to admit, the apartment complex they lived in was among the nicest around. Sure, there were scrapes and mug rings on the coffee table, the television was tiny and the freezer sometimes leaked into the fridge below causing Sam’s yoghurts to freeze. But all student accommodation came with a sizable list of cons and their building had a significantly shorter list than others.

“Where will I even sleep?” One thing that came with cleaner apartment complexes was inspections and she was certain that an extra pull-out bed in the living area would rouse the night porter’s suspicions.

“You can take my bed” Bucky replied simply, chucking a piece of popcorn in the air and catching it in his mouth effortlessly.

“Then, where will you sleep?” she asked.

The other two boys replied in unison.

“The couch” Steve suggested.

“With you” came Sam’s reply.

She threw a withering glance at them as Steve slapped the brown leather that she suspected was once red and was now covered with small rips and tears. Sam sat beside him wiggling his eyebrows suggestively as his brown eyes shifted between her and Bucky, sparkling with mischief.

“Don’t worry about me, we’ll figure something out when the time comes,” Bucky dismissed with a wave of his hand before turning his gaze back up to her. “So, whaddaya say?”

“Alright, why not?” she gave in, holding her hands up in surrender. Whoops reverberated around the thin walls as the boys tackled her in a group hug.

“Roommates! Roommates! Roommates!” they chanted boyishly and pumped their fists in the air. She couldn’t help but laugh and shake her head at them.

“Hey, shhh! You’re harboring a fugitive, remember? Be a little more inconspicuous than that!” she chided in a lowered voice.

“Right. From now on, we’ll be in stealth mode” Steve replied quietly, a look of seriousness washing over his features as he gave a chaste nod.

_“Roommates! Roommates! Roommates!”_  they continued in a whisper. Eyes rolled to the heavens, her palm found its way to her face in exasperation.

 

Winter break had come and gone yet the bitter chill remained in the air when the resumption of classes loomed in mid-January. Bucky caught her the night she was moving her things in, struggling to lift her suitcase that looked fit to burst at the seams from her car. Her laboured breaths huffed from her lips and swirled through the air in white wisps as they met the frigid air. Her case hit the ground with a dull thud that echoed through the half-empty car park accompanied with a grunt.

“Hey roomie!” Bucky called as he cautiously half-jogged over to assist her, careful to avoid the pesky black ice.

“Buck!” she chimed with a smile, dropping the bag she was holding back into the car to greet him with open arms. His parka-clad arms wrapped around her in a bear hug and he hissed when the frozen apple of her cheek came in contact with the bare skin of his neck.

“Jeez, you’re freezing! Let’s get you and all your girly crap inside” Bucky exclaimed as he grabbed the handle of her suitcase. She made a noise of protest but flashed him a smile before she grabbed the last of her things from the car and locked it. She was thankful their building had an elevator unlike hers and she could feel herself gradually defrosting as the central heating wormed its way into her skin while they ascended to their floor.

“I missed you lunatics, you know. My house felt almost too quiet in comparison” she said fondly as she waited for Bucky to fish his keys from his pocket with numb fingers. He shot her a signature heart-stopping grin as he turned the key in the lock and held the door ajar for her.

“Missed you too, doll.”

The other two boys were heading to bed just as she arrived, looking none too impressed with their 8am starts on a Monday morning this semester.

“Aye, keep it down alright?” Sam teased, wiggling a finger between herself and Bucky. “Last thing I need is to be kept awake by you two tryna squeeze into a single bed.”

Rolling her eyes, she shoved him in the direction of his room and decided against unpacking her things. Living out of her suitcase seemed like the most inconspicuous option. When she left the en-suite bathroom in Bucky’s room having changed into her pajamas, Bucky had busied himself dressing the bed.

“Now,” he exclaimed as he threw a fluffed pillow back in its place. “She’s all yours.”

“Uh, I don’t think so. I’m taking the couch” she retorted. Bucky made a brief face of contemplation before bolting past her through the door. She knew exactly what he was doing. “Hey!”

When she ran out to the living area after him, he was already laying down under a blanket on the double sofa with a cheeky grin plastered on his face. Her jaw fell open when she realised he had been sly enough to outsmart her - knowing she wouldn’t have taken the bed without putting up a fight.

“You sneaky little shit!” she accused before belly-flopping on the unsuspecting gentleman. His grunt from the impact immediately turned to laughter and the vibrations from his chest in turn caused her to break into a fit of giggles. His smile was infectious and all of her previous sense of betrayal had dissipated entirely. Before she could blink, Bucky swiftly sat up and threw her over his shoulder in one fluid manouver. Ignoring her protests (and the stinging slap she had inflicted on his rear), he plopped her onto his bed and pinned her to the mattress by her shoulders.

“Kinky little one, aren’t ya?” Bucky joked, a crooked grin gracing his face. “Sleep tight.”

He threw the covers over her and quickly exited the room as a thumping came from the other side of the wall, followed by Sam’s muffled voice.

“What did I just say!”

Trying to ignore the sudden heat in her cheeks, she settled into Bucky’s bed and forced the thoughts about the warmth where his hands had been out of her mind.

 

She had settled in seamlessly with the band of boys and they fell into a comfortable routine. Thursday was her day to prepare dinner and the guys agreed to clean up afterwards. Once a week, they went on a ‘family outing’ - a phrase Steve had coined. Sometimes it was bowling, others it was karting. Real-life karting and not the rage-inducing, fight-inciting Mario kind. Most recently, they had gone to the cinema. Sam hadn’t been overly impressed with the film: something about how Ant-Man had crappy powers and if anyone could choose their superpowers, they’d  _obviously_  choose the ability to fly. Night-time rolled around and she had begrudgingly accepted to sleep in Bucky’s bed since the first night, despite her unwavering attempts to swap sleeping arrangements. Ever the gentleman, Bucky was having none of it.

Though as the days went by, Bucky felt his feelings towards her shift ever so gradually. He found himself gazing after her for longer than what was normal. Sitting nearer to her on the couch when they were watching re-runs just to feel her arm brush against his. Relishing in the sound of her laughter. He had a sudden compulsive need to be near her in what he was sure was more than a friendly way but he couldn’t stop himself. It became part of their routine that he’d stumble in from his late class on Wednesdays to his bed where she was always sat, waiting. Some days she was studying, others just reading while music softly filtered in the background. He’d flop down on the bed beside her and divest information on how his day had been; good, bad or indifferent. Either way, he always came in exhausted. Sensing this, she began to comfortingly rub a hand up and down the tense muscles of his back. Bucky knew he shouldn’t keep it up when his feelings towards her were in turmoil. It was unfair to her for him to be lapping up her comforting touch when it meant something more to him. But her touch was a drug and he was a hopeless addict, wracked with a sense of withdrawal during the final hour of his last Wednesday class at the anticipation of rushing home for his next high.

This Wednesday was no different. As soon as the clock struck six, he darted from the lecture hall with eyes heavy from exhaustion. He hadn’t listened to a single word that had been uttered during the lecture and he didn’t care. All he could think of was getting home. When he did, she was sat on the pillow with her back against the headboard as she scribbled down notes. Her head snapped up when he came through the door and threw his bag under the desk.

“Hey, Buck” she greeted cheerfully, a radiant smile on her beautiful face. His heart clenched at the sight. He let out a grunt in response as he trudged towards the bed. Pushing his luck, he flopped down beside her and lay his head in her lap. It was too late once he had realised what he’d done and frankly, he was too tired to move. His entire body tensed when he felt fingers weave their way through his hair.

“Rough day?” she enquired sweetly. He almost jumped when the tips of her nails grazed his scalp but eased into the massaging rhythm of her touch. She felt him move as he lazily nodded against her legs, the weight pressing down on them as he slowly relaxed.

“But you’re makin’ me feel better already, doll” Bucky mumbled sleepily followed by a blissful sigh escaping his lungs. If he had even been somewhat coherent, he would’ve been kicking himself for allowing something like that to slip out of his mouth. But the way her hands gently ran through his hair made him lose all resolve.  Unbeknownst to him, she smiled down at him fondly as his blue irises disappeared behind fluttering eyelids. She coaxed him into watching a movie with her though he didn’t take much convincing. Sam and Steve had decided to go out for drinks with their football buddies for the night so the apartment was unusually peaceful aside from the occasional popping of popcorn in the microwave and Bucky’s groans of confusion as he tried to grapple with technology. Despite his interest in modern technologies and gadgets, it just wasn’t his forte and it tended to infuriate him too much to try and learn how to use it.

“Scoot over” she ordered, bumping him with her hip as she balanced the bowl of popcorn in one hand and cans of beer in the other.

“How the hell are ya ‘sposed to use this thing?” he mused as he made room for her on the single bed, glaring at the laptop screen. His Brooklyn accent always became stronger when he got angry or had too much to drink. Swapping the bowl for the laptop, she tried to see if she could troubleshoot the issue as Bucky chomped popcorn beside her.

“Buck, it’s not even connected to the internet” she said simply, trying her best to stifle a laugh. Brows drawn together in disbelief, he leaned forward to see for himself. The ‘x’ across the wifi symbol stared tauntingly back at him. He muttered a swear under his breath and hunched back against the pillow, sulking and munching. She allowed herself to laugh at that. Five minutes into some action-comedy film that Bucky had chosen, she still hadn’t managed to get comfortable. The modest single mattress was barely made to fit one average-sized person - and Bucky alone was touching six foot tall and built like a brick house.

“What’s up with you?” he questioned with a hint of a laugh colouring his tired voice, trying to steady the laptop on his knees as she tossed and turned.

“Can’t get comfy” she huffed in frustration. She sat up and lifted his arm before neatly tucking herself against his side, head on his chest. “Better.”

Swallowing thickly, he inwardly prayed she couldn’t hear the quickened pace of his heartbeat hammering against his ribcage. Who was he kidding? He knew she could hear it. He was intoxicated by the sweet scent of her perfume this close and he stifled a surprised gasp when the tip of her finger mindlessly started tracing shapes across his chest. He supposed the movements were intended to soothe him but it had the opposite effect. His nerves tingled and he felt like he was going to throw up. What the hell was happening him?

Instinctively, his arm tightened across her back and he gazed down at her. He could get used to this sight but he shouldn’t. This wasn’t how friends acted. Just as he blushed with guilt for feeling as though he was taking advantage of a loyal friend, she turned her head to look up at him with  a look of amusement.

“Damn Barnes, don’t go into cardiac arrest on me” she joked as she patted the left side of his chest just over his wild heart. He paled momentarily but then his heart sunk. Only the guys called him by his surname so he was pretty sure he just got friend-zoned before he ever made a move. He was never so glad to be proven wrong.

Her eyes searched his for a moment before she moved her hand from his chest to settle on the shadow of stubble of his cheek. She pushed herself up onto her elbow to hover over his and he swore she heard the blood whooshing through his ears as his heart thumped in his eardrums. No one had ever pulled that kind of reaction from his body before and he could do nothing but lay under her, frozen as she inched closer. His eyes immediately fell shut when her lips found his and after a brief shock to his system, his brain managed to communicate with his limbs again and he rested a hand on the small of her back. The kiss was gentle but hypnotising and he sighed against her lips blissfully as she tenderly stroked circles against the coarse hair on his cheek. The tyre screeches and police sirens from the movie wailed in the background, attempting futilely to regain their attention. As far as they were concerned, the apartment complex could burn to cinders around them and they would be none the wiser. She pulled away much too soon and his lips chased hers, eyes still closed. Her giggle sounded heavenly to his ears like the tinkle of a harp played by an angel. He was certain that he had actually just gone into cardiac arrest and she was beckoning him into the afterlife. Having just been speechless moments before, he was surprised when words started to subconsciously spill from his mouth.

“Think I need some more mouth to mouth, pretty sure I’m dead” he mumbled almost dreamily, his eyes hooded and in a trance. Another delightful laugh rolled from her, a hearty one. The addictive pressure of her lips on his returned.

“Stay,” she softly urged him later on that night, fingers wrapped around his wrist and eyes weary. “Plus, who knows what the hell has been on that couch in its lifetime. I feel bad when you sleep on it.”

That night, Bucky slept in his own bed again for the first time in weeks. After he made a face of disgust at the thought of what that couch had been through, that was.

 

Sleeping in his own bed, her wrapped up against his side and stolen kisses quickly became part of their routine. The semester flew by and their relationship blossomed but the end of the college year leered unwelcome around the corner. One night, they lay in their usual position on the bed chatting nonsense as she played with his hair. They called it a ‘study break’ though they both knew the other had no intention of opening a book later again that night.

“I’ll get it cut soon, I promise” Bucky told her as he reached a hand up to ruffle his shoulder-length hair.

“What? No!” she protested, snaking both hands into his soft brunette locks and tugging gently. “It’s growing on me.”

“Yeah?” he asked with a lopsided grin, looking up at her in awe. She hummed her response and leaned forward to brush her nose against his.

“I’m gonna miss you next year” she mumbled sadly. She had finalised the details for her semester abroad that day.

“Well, what if I wanted to study abroad too?” Bucky mused rubbing a hand up and down her back. At that, she pulled back and stared into his eyes.

“Wait, seriously?” she said failing to keep the excitement from her voice.

“Yeah, why not? I’ve always wanted to go to Bucharest anyway” he replied with a smile, the corners of his sparkling blue eyes crinkling.

 

**Author's Note:**

> this is the product of me staying up until 3am fussing over college details that no one asked for, hope you like it anyway! fun fact: when i was younger, i used to think that the song was ‘knocking on helen’s door’. let me know what you think!
> 
> follow me on tumblr: hawkinstarks.tumblr.com


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